‘Emotional Support Alligator’ Turned Away From Baseball Game

Philadelphia sports fans tend to be a, shall we say, an eccentric bunch. However, Citizens Bank Park drew the line when one fan attempted to attend Wednesday night’s Phillies game with his “emotional support alligator” in tow. But all things considered, it was perhaps a missed opportunity since the gator in question, named Wally, is a celebrity in his own right.

Wally and his owner, alligator expert Joie Henney of Hershey, PA, were seen outside the stadium ahead of the game between the Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates, just one day after the Phils clinched the top wild card spot heading into the playoffs. Although the pair were ultimately denied entry, they made quite the splash on social media.

“Are you kidding me. A Phillies fan tried to come into game tonight with what they said was a ‘service animal,'” posted sports radio host Howard Eskin on X, formerly Twitter. “An Alligator! Yes an Alligator. Thing’s I’ve never seen. This is it.”

Are you kidding me. A #Phillies fan tried to come into game tonight with what they said was a “service animal.” An Alligator! Yes an Alligator. Thing’s I’ve never seen. This is it. ⁦@SportsRadioWIP⁩ pic.twitter.com/H7A0FM0IYC

— Howard Eskin (@howardeskin) September 27, 2023

But Eskin wasn’t the only one to encounter Wally, as YouTuber The Philly Captain also documented his run-in with Wally, who was wearing a jazzy harness and seemed fine chilling out in the grass outside the stadium. 

Emotional support alligator denied access to the Phillies game pic.twitter.com/Q7DC1qBcDm

— The Philly Captain (@philly_captain) September 27, 2023

The Phillies’ official website makes no mention of gators in its service animal policy, which states that while “guide dogs, service animals, or service animals in training are welcome,” all other animals are prohibited.

Wally is indeed a ” licensed emotional support animal,” and one who has over 110,00 followers on TikTok and has been profiled in outlets such as the Washington Post. He was even the inspiration for the alligator Loki in the Disney+ Marvel series.

And not only does Henney claim that Wally helps with his depression, but says that he loves giving hugs and having his chin scratched. After being found in a pond in Disney World seven years ago, Henney took Wally into his home, where he lives free-roam on a diet of “Cheetos and chicken legs.”

“I’ve never met an alligator that will not bite you,” Henney told CBS News last year. “You fool around [with their head], their instinct is to grab you. He does not do it. You can reach in there and rub his tongue. He refuses to close his mouth. We don’t know why.” 

Emotional Support Alligator sleeps in bed with his owner #Phillies #baseball #MLB #gator pic.twitter.com/jkt64QmqP1

— The Philly Captain (@philly_captain) September 28, 2023

Hopefully, the Phillies will rectify this very obvious blunder by having Wally throw out the first pitch in the World Series. He deserves at least that much.